Slaw, the play in the bearing of your Mk.7 Rock is troubling. The Elite Mk.2 version of the Rock (what I own) has an inverted bearing, the spindle being fixed to the plinth (rather than to the bottom of the sub-platter or full platter in tables having non-inverted bearings, such as Linn’s, VPI’s, Oracles, etc.), and the shaft the spindle is inserted into being part of the sub-platter (rather than being bolted onto the plinth or suspended sub-chassis, as in the tables just mentioned). The ball bearing that sits between the top of the spindle and the bottom of the shaft is located at the platter’s center of gravity, which aids achieving platter stability and low rumble. My spindle has a very thin, shallow channel machined into it, circling around it barbershop pole style, to draw lubricant from the bottom of the shaft and bring it to the top. Ingenious!
I attempted to find out if the Mk.7 Rock also has an inverted bearing, but all information about the Mk.7 has been removed from the Townshend Audio website, as a new version is in development, the table being currently unavailable. I would give Max a call in England and talk to him about the play in your bearing. I’ve spoken to him numerous times, both on the phone and at the Vegas C.E.S., and he was happy to talk. The U.S. distributor is not exactly a fountain of technical information, or help of any kind.
The London cartridges have a very unique sound, one not provided by even the most expensive moving coils imo. I call it "immediacy", other adjectives used to describe it being alive, startling clear, transparent, dynamic, and exciting. It IS the most dynamic cartridge around, both micro and macro. Affording very "fine" dynamic graduations, the cartridge is quite "snappy", with lightning-fast transients. Snare drum shots really "POP!". It does percussion like no other---drum smacks, the "click" of a drumstick on a cymbal, piano hammers-on-strings, stand-up bass strings being slapped, etc. The "attack" of the cartridge makes others sound slow. It also excels in instrumental textures---the sound of a bow being dragged across a violin’s strings can be felt as well as heard, and actually almost "seen", the rivets in a sizzle cymbal bouncing on the cymbal’s brass the same, the throat and vocal chords of a resonant singing voice, the sheen of a large orchestra’s string section, fingernails picking notes on an acoustic guitar’s wound steel strings, etc. And really deep, explosive bass! The bass register keys of a grand piano being pounded, tympani mallet felts striking calfskin heads, a bass drum pedal beater smacking a batter head, a standup bass string bouncing off the fretboard after being "yanked" away from it, a Fender electric bass playing a descending scale down to the open E string, the throaty roar of a pipe organ’s bass pedal notes at thunderous levels---pure exhilaration!
But the cartridge is ruthless in revealing any tonearm failings---rattling bearings, arm tube resonances, etc. That is because the cartridge has virtually no suspension, transmitting a lot of physical/mechanical energy straight into the arm (imagine a car with blown shock absorbers). It is for that reason that arms employing damping have long been recommended for Deccas and Londons. As should be obvious, the cartridge really benefits from the Rock’s front end damping. Like I said, a marriage made in Heaven!
